


Open Your Eyes

by WeirdMix0817



Category: Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye
Genre: references to May 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22021627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdMix0817/pseuds/WeirdMix0817
Summary: Chase has been having an odd series of nightmares recently. They seem to get worse each night. After a particularly horrifying one, Chase finally turns to his Septic brothers for help. The egos feel these dreams are the work of a certain glitch. However, a journey into Chase's mind reveals that all is not what it appears.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

It happened again. Of course it did. Why would his nightmares let up for once? Before this, Chase had one of his best days in a while. The egos threw a birthday party for Jackieboyman, and everything went amazingly. The hero returned home in good spirits (which didn’t happen often); Schneep gave himself a day off for the first time. Best of all, Chase was finally content, but, as always, his dumb mind had to ruin that. He felt as if he was doomed to go through this painful cycle forever. Maybe some Japanese Whiskey would-no, that’s not the answer. The former father had been sober for a few months, and wasn’t caving in now. This withdrawal was an obstacle the divorcee had to fight on his own. Right now, however, the vlogger needed help from a certain doctor. 

“They are getting worse?” The German ego tapped on his desk with a pen, listening to his little brother. Chase nodded as he shifted in his seat. 

“Yeah, this one felt way more…” Brody took a hesitant pause. 

“Real, like it was actually happening.” 

“How, exactly?” The doctor spoke in a monotone voice. He seemed emotionless, almost as if he were an android therapist. Chase hated when Schneep got like this. In fact, everyone in the cabin loathed this side of the good doctor. It simply worried them, especially since he only only put up a wall when…

“Chase,” Henrik snapped the former father out of his thoughts. 

“What?” 

“I was asking you how real your night scare felt.” 

“Right,” Chase answered quickly, continuing to recount his dream. 

“All I remember is my eyes burning.” 

“They were itching?” Schneep questioned the young vlogger. 

“No,” Brody’s response was instant. 

“It was like they were on fire, but…” A combination of pain and fear seeped from Chase’s face. This pulled off Henrik’s emotionless mask. The German ego had to calm down his brother. On the other hand, he also needed know more. If not, the doctor would not know what he was dealing with. A few moments of thought led the good doctor to take the middle ground. 

“But what?” Each time the divorced man tried to get the words out, his face scrunched up further in fright. The doctor stood up, leaning down and grasping Brody’s shoulders. 

“You can do this, Chase,” Schneep reassured gently. 

“What was happening to your eyes?” 

“They…” the younger ego took a shaky breath in and out. 

“They were…bleeding.” 

“What?” Chase often came to the good doctor’s office with dreams of being chased or attacked. However, the former father never saw gore in his night terrors, and he sure as hell didn’t feel anything this intense. 

“Are you sure?” The German asked in a slightly panicked tone. 

“Yes, I saw it!” Tears were flowing from Brody’s eyes like rainfall. 

“From where?” At that, the divorcee stopped to think for a moment. Where had he seen it from? A mirror? A camera? That detail was so burned into his brain, the question never occurred to him. 

“I don’t know,” Chase said softly, yet enough for Henrik to hear. The answer only served to confuse the good doctor. 

“How do you not know?”

“I just don’t, okay?!” The younger ego yelled. It was the first time he’d ever shouted at Schneep. The two of them typically finished each of these sessions on good terms, even when the dreams shook him to his core. What was happening?

“I’m sorry, dude,” the former father hung his head in shame. He would’ve face-palmed, had the German not been holding his shoulders. 

“You are under lot of strain,” the doctor responded calmly.

“Happens to me every once in a while,” that was true. While up late doing paperwork, he sometimes lashed out at one of the egos in his exhaustion. 

“Now,” the doctor proceeded. 

“This sounds like more than just a night scare,” Henrik let go of Chase, now pacing around the room.

“I’m afraid of what this might be, or rather, who this might be,” A flash of fear can be seen on Henrik’s visage for a moment, before hiding away. Chase knew of the doctor’s time with the local glitch bitch. As stoic as he appeared, the former father could tell when someone was bottling up their feelings. After all, it takes one to know one. 

“We have to jog your memory somehow,” Schneep began tapping his fingers against his chin. 

“Maybe Marvin has something,” the divorcee said in suggestion. 

“Of course,” the German exclaimed as if it should’ve been an obvious solution. The magician tended to have potions, spells, or trinkets for these kinds of problems. 

“Come on, Brody! Let’s have a word with him.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay, Robbie,” Marvin squatted down to face Robbie. The magician took a brief glance at his glass globe. A purple light within it seemed to be growing brighter by the second. 

“You ready?” The undead ego nodded. It was the most determined Marvin had ever seen him, and he was willing to encourage that. 

“I’m going to count down from three, alright?” Robbie once again nodded his head. 

“3…2…1-” the spell was interrupted by a loud knock. The magic ego flicked his wrist, ending the process. 

“I’m sorry, buddy,” he lightly tapped the zombie’s shoulder as he walked past. ‘This had better be an emergency,’ he thought to himself. Opening the door, those thoughts were confirmed. He was met with a red-eyed Chase and a stone-cold, yet worried-looking Schneeplestein. 

“What happened?” Concern filled the magician’s face. 

“Chase needs your help,” something was genuinely wrong. The vlogger hasn’t looked that broken since the day he arrived at the cabin.

“Of course, come in,” the magic ego opened the door wider, allowing his brothers to enter. Henrik remained by Chase’s side as they walked in. The zombie craned his head around, fret shining in his fogged-over eyes. 

“Ch-chase, are…y-you okay?” The former father couldn’t avoid the puppy dog look of the undead ego. 

“I’m fine,” Brody reassured with a scratchy voice.

“‘Just been having some bad dreams.” 

“Like me,” Robbie proceeded to grab the vlogger’s hand. He must have seen people on tv use that to comfort others. 

“Yes, just like you,” the sad dad gave the zombie a small smile. 

“So,” Marvin placed his focus on the good doctor. 

“What’s going on with Chase?” 

“He has been having ongoing nightmares,” Schneep began.

“We think it may have something to do with…him,” the very mention of the glitch caused everyone’s hair to stand on end. 

“I have just what you need,” the magic ego advanced toward his round, wooden table. On it sat a glass orb held up by blue and silver rests which were attached to it. Marvin pointed to the object. 

“I was about to use it on Robbie.” 

“What is it?” Henrik’s knowledge of the supernatural was still limited, despite his three-year exposure to it.

“A way to find out what’s going on in his head,” the magician’s hands gestured towards the crystal ball. 

“It traces signals from a person’s subconscious and projects them,” he explains.

“Kind of like a supernatural tv.” 

“Amazing,” the German stared wide-eyed at the clear sphere in front of him. 

“All I have to do is coax Chase to sleep,” the young ego froze at these words. 

“C-can’t it just pick it up when I’m awake?” Brody stuttered. 

“I’m sorry, but you have to be asleep for this to work,” the vlogger’s face scrunched up a bit. The magician walks over to the former father, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“I know this is scary,” Marv reassured. 

“Remember, I’ve had that son of a bitch in my head before,” he recounts. A look of fear flashes on his visage for a moment before being sucked back in. 

“It really messes with you,” he continued. 

“But I was strong enough to get him out, and so are you,”Brody’s dim eyes begin to brighten. 

“So, what do you say? ‘You want these dreams to go away?”

“You bet your ass, broseph,” in that moment, the septics could see their fellow ego returning. 

“Then let’s do this,” the magician flicked his wrist, causing a yellow version of Robbie’s bean bag chair to appear. 

“Mar…” the zombie whined softly. 

“Don’t worry, Robbie,” Marvin reassured. 

“I’ll help you as soon as I’m done with Chase, okay?” the undead ego nodded timidly. Marvin gave a soft smile before turning his attention back to the vlogger. That septic is now on his yellow seat, waiting with his heart in his throat. 

“Are you ready?” the magician asked as if he were a teacher giving a test. 

“Nope,” Chase responded.

“But I don’t think I’ll ever be,” the magician let out a heavy breath and proceeded to his globe. Like a fortune teller, he hovered his hands over the left and right side of the ball. He did so only for a second, bringing his appendages back down. Marvin then returned to Brody. He hunched down across from the former father, holding out his pointer finger and drawing a spiral in the air. That pattern was drawn through a glowing yellow light. It was almost like his pointer was a marker. The spiral spun clockwise, hooking the vlogger’s eyes to it. 

“Relaxing, isn’t it?” Marvin said in the most gentle voice he could muster. Chase nodded mindlessly. 

“So relaxing, in fact, that you are getting tired. You do not feel the need to stay awake,” he soothed. 

“Your eyes feel heavy and you welcome the call to sleep,” the former father’s eyelids become weak as he slightly allows them to slowly shut. 

“Now, breathe in,” the magician took a deep breath for his fellow ego to follow. 

“And out,” the two septics breathed out in sync. The second that breath ceased, Brody was fast asleep. Marv dashed back to his crystal ball. Through the transparent orb, all he could see was a dark hallway where his brother stood in confusion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the mind of Chase Brody.

Brody fearfully takes in his surroundings. At least, he tries to. The room is so dark, he must squint hard to see anything but a void. In front of him is a seemingly endless hallway. A dim shade of red can be seen in the distance. Something about this place is familiar. 

“Chase,” Marvin called. His voice caused Chase to jump an inch off the ground. 

“Are you alright.” 

“You scared the shit outta me, dude!” the vlogger shouted as he attempted to slow his breathing.

“Sorry, forgot that I’m just a disembodied voice to you,” the magician laughed nervously. 

“It’s okay, bro,” he took a deep breath, attempting to ease the remaining anxiety bubbling in his stomach. 

“Okay,” the magic ego begins, uneasy. 

“What do you see?” he squinches, almost unable to see Chase in the darkness shown on the globe. 

“Seems like a dark hallway,” Brody holds his hands out from both ends to reach for any walls, or other stationary objects near him. 

“Do you hear anything?” 

“No, it’s…weirdly quiet,” Chase internally shivers at this fact as he feels himself step on a small, rectangular object. He bends down and picks it up, feeling the cold chill of metal on his fingertips. The vlogger soon realizes exactly what this is. The former father opened the top, before flicking a flame to life. Once again, he felt a sense of deja vu. Dark hallways and a lighter. Where has he seen this from before? His thoughts were interrupted by a child’s laughter coming from down the hall.

“Wait, did you hear that?”

“What are you talking about?” All Marvin could hear were the youtuber’s echoing footsteps as he walked through his own mind. 

“You’re telling me you didn’t hear that little girl?” It was clear as day, loud enough for him to hear from where he was. That voice. He knew it. he recognized the pitch, the audible innocence that shone through it. 

“It kinda sounded like…”before he could finish, an impulse sent him rushing down the hall in the direction of the voice. 

“Chase, what are you doing?” The magician called out. No response.

“Chase!” Marvin raised his voice, to no avail. The vlogger continued to chase a child he couldn’t hear. It was odd. He’d never seen the mind induce those kinds of hallucinations before. Normally, the supernatural ego would see and hear whatever the person claimed to. A situation like this one, as far as he was concerned, was impossible. That is, unless another entity was influencing things. Someone like…Oh no! Marvin had to wake him up. The magician proceeded to use every spell he knew to wake someone from a deep sleep. Each attempt ended in Chase still unconscious in the chair. Who or whatever this thing was, it was focused on Brody and Brody alone. However, they made one mistake: they messed with a Septiceye. And when you fuck with one, you fuck with all of them. Marvin teleported himself and Brody to Henrik. Hopefully, the good doctor could keep the former father stabilized.

Chase raced through the hall. Her giggling could be heard again every five seconds, just enough for him to be guided in the right direction. Brody turned left, finding a white door. He waited, hearing a laugh from directly behind the entrance. He could finally see her again. Part of his mind said this didn’t feel right, but that was overpowered by the thought of his daughter’s smile. The father slowly turned the cold knob, opening the door to find exactly what he hoped. It was her. He couldn’t believe it. It had been so long, but there she was, giggling happily on her bed. Only, she wasn’t alone. A clone of Chase appeared to be tickling her. He tried to step closer, but was stopped by an invisible wall. For some reason, this fact did not panic him in the slightest. The normal him would be banging on the barrier, futilely trying to get her attention. However, Brody felt no threat against his child. In fact, he remembered a similar night. Stacey worked multiple jobs to pay for the house. Because of that, she tended to work late, leaving the husband in charge of tucking the kids in. It eventually became a something the three looked forward to. The one who loved it the most was his daughter, Sam. Every once in a while, he would let the tickle monster loose from its cage. These nights brought her even more joy. That’s it. This was a memory. A bright smile found its way onto his face in remembrance. 

Within a moment, the scene flashed to him with his son at a park. The child is hiding behind a tree. A nerf gun can be seen in his hands. As the young boy sneakily assesses his surroundings, a wild Chase Brody appears. The vlogger takes a playful bunch of shots at the boy. However, the child zig-zags through the expanse of green around him, successfully evading the foam bullets. But the parent was sneakier. As the child prematurely maneuvered, Brody crept up on him. 

“Gotcha!” Past Chase shouted, trapping him in a hug. The boy burst into giggles as his father embraced him with one hand, and. ruffled his. hair with the other. The youtuber’s grin stretched farther across his face. he remembered that day too. His mind would never allow him to forget. After all, it was the last day he got to spend with his child. At the thought, a new memory faded into view as the old one disappeared. The tone immediately shifted as Brody saw his past self talking on the phone. 

“At least let me see them on the weekend still,” the vlogger softly pleaded.

“I hate to have to tell you this,” Stacey began sarcastically on the other side of the phone.

“But you’re a bad example for them. I don’t want them getting hurt because you’re too childish to be a real parent,” the mother’s voice raised in volume. 

“But…” the former father interjected timidly. He was too used to this kind of treatment. 

“Nope, I’ve given you too many chances,” the ex spat. 

“Enjoy your stupid videos. They’re all you have now.” 

“Mommy?” Their daughter spoke up before Stacey could hang up. 

“Who are you talking to? Why are you mad?” 

“Sammy cake!” Chase’s eyes lit up at the sound of her voice. 

“Daddy!” the young girl exclaimed. The mother refused to put the phone down for her. 

“Hey sweetie!” Brody attempted to sound as happy as possible for his little girl. 

“Daddy loves y-” before he could finish, he heard the vibrant beeps of the call ending. So that was it, wasn’t it? His three sources of joy gone, just like that. It felt as if she had balled up his heart and crushed it. In an instant, waterfalls of tears were released from his eyes. The scene alternated once more, showing Chase in his current room, downing a bottle of Japanese whiskey. 

“Life is cruel, isn’t it?” the former father looked around, searching for the source of the whispy voice. 

“Who’s there?” Brody said with false courage. 

“You needn’t know my name,” the invisible creature started. 

“All you must know is that I can help you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase wakes up and the real fun begins.

The heart monitor kept a steady rhythm as time ticked along. Robbie sat next to the bed, hand resting on his chin. He lost track of how long he’d been there. All the zombie knew was that he wasn’t leaving Brody alone, awake or not. He was too aware of the feeling to put others through it. At least, that’s what his recovering brain told him. Whatever the case may be, Robbie was insistent that the vlogger have company. The undead ego kept his eyes on Chase, noticing his finger twitching for a moment. This motion caused him to perk up. He brought himself a bit closer to the sleeping septic. 

“Ch-Chase?” Robbie called softly. The vlogger slowly turned to face him, eyelids shaking as if waking was a struggle. After a few moments of hesitation, the former father’s eyes snapped open. His pupils and irises were gone, replaced by glowing, blue orbs. 

“Hello Robert,” his voice was dripping with poison, yet soft and oddly soothing. The sound of it made the zombie internally shiver. Not to mention, his face was practically expressionless, almost robotic. 

“You...re n-not Ch-Ch-Chase,” the undead ego stared with wide eyes. 

“What a smart zombie,” the vlogger softly exclaimed, seeming impressed in some way or another, like an elementary school teacher. 

“W-Where is h-he?” 

“He is right here,” possessed Brody put emphasis on the last word, pointing a finger to their temple. 

“Don’t worry,” he flatly reassured. 

“He is safe.” 

“G-Give him b-b...ack,” the undead ego pleaded. 

“But this is what he wanted.” 

“What?” Why would Brody ever willingly be trapped within his own mind? Yes, he may have been very sad at times, but he knew better than to do something like this. At least, that’s what Robbie thought. 

“He was offered something he simply couldn’t refuse,” the copy’s gaze bored into Robbie’s eyes. 

“And now, I am here,” a small smile graced his--no, its--face. It seemed to have no regrets about what it was doing. The being gently grabbed the zombie’s chin. In an instant, that peaceful feeling enveloped his entire body. The undead septic’s mind went blank, mesmerized by the copy’s bright orbs. 

“But you won’t tell anyone, will you?” Robbie limply shook his head. 

“You’re going to go to the doctor and tell him that Chase has woken up, alright?” the zombie nodded, before the creature let go of his chin. The undead ego didn’t waste any time rushed to Henrik. The good doctor returned to find a smiling Brody sitting up in bed. It was the happiest he had seen the man in...well, ever. While the former father appeared to have himself together, Schneep usually saw through his facade. After all, he was an ex-parent himself. He went through the same emotions as Chase. However, by the look on Brody’s face, it seemed as if his storm cloud had turned into a rainbow. The doctor forced his phone out of his pocket, letting the other egos know. Marvin teleported in the second he heard the news. He darted to the bed and gave the vlogger a the warmest hug he’d ever given anyone while apologizing profusely. 

“It’s alright, dude,” Chase reassured with a bright smile. 

“I’m okay, and you helped me. I’m the happiest I’ve been in a while,” he exclaimed. The statement made the supernatural septic’s eyes widen in shock. He looked at the former father as if to ask ‘really?’ As if reading his mind, Brody nodded his head. The edges of the magician’s mouth curved up, catching the vlogger’s happiness. Hearing the door swing open, Marvin backed away. 

Chase was kept in that room for another few days, before Henrik released him. The former father acted as if the whole incident never happened. It seemed that whatever occurred had actually helped him. Not only that, his positive attitude appeared to to be contagious. Almost everyone in the cabin was the happiest they have ever been...except for the magician. While he was glad to see Brody happy, there was still a part of him that was suspicious. How would a single, supernatural incident cure Chase of his depression? That was impossible, even by his standards. Marvin had to test something. One day, he stopped the former father as he was leaving with a cup of tea. 

“Hey, Chase,” the supernatural septic began. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. 

“I’m feeling great, bro!” the vlogger beamed, positive energy shining from his eyes. Marvin almost blindly dropped the conversation at that, but snapped himself out of the brief daze. 

“I just wanted to ask you,” The magician was hesitant about this question. He wanted to test this out, but at the same time, he didn’t enjoy re-opening old wounds. Regardless, he took a short breath and opened his mouth. 

“Are you still bummed about Stacy and the kids?” Marvin searched Brody’s face for hesitation, but found none. 

“I’ve come to terms with it,” Chase responded. 

“I have no idea how, but...yeah,” the former father took a sip of his drink.

“It must’ve been whatever happened in my mind,” he reasoned with a shrug. 

“But it couldn’t have been that easy,” Marvin blurted out softly. 

“What are you talking about?” the vlogger asked, seemingly confused. 

“Something about this just feels...wrong,” the magician’s gaze lowered as he thought of the possibilities. Perhaps, Anti had done something. However, there have been no occurrences that would signify his presence. But who or what else could it be, then? 

“You’re overthinking,” Chase gently placed his hand on the supernatural ego’s shoulder. 

“Do you want to play some games to take your mind off this?” 

“No,” the magician shook his head. 

“I think I just need some time alone.” 

“Okay,” the. former father answered with slight concern in his voice. 

“I’m here if you need to talk, alright?” 

“I know,” the magician acknowledged. At least whatever happened hadn’t removed his caring nature. 

“Thanks.” 

Marvin tore through the pages of his magic book. In none of them was information on Chase’s behavior recently. Maybe he had been over-in the middle of that thought, he found something in the section on mind control. 

‘It is possible for one to gain access to a person’s mind while another performing the voyeur spell on that individual,’ the text read. That was what Marvin used. ‘However, such a thing can only be done by a creature of significant power.’ Who would that be, if not Anti? There was always Dark, but the Septics don’t have anything he would want. The Host had that kind of power, but he was a pretty nice guy. He helped the magic ego with his powers when they were first discovered. The ex-writer even checked in on him from time to time. He wouldn’t have any reason to do the Septics harm. None of the people he knew had the power or motive to do something like this. That only left two options: either the being was newly created, or they have been hiding very well. And now, there was only one way to know for sure. 

Marvin teleported himself into the vlogger’s room to avoid making noise. Chase appeared to be sound asleep. Regardless, the magician would have to ensure the former father didn’t wake up while he was doing this. 

“fad a bheidh mé anseo, fanfaidh an duine atá romham i goodladh domhaim,” the magic septic mumbled. He shook Chase a few times to ensure the spell worked. As Marvin hoped, Brody didn’t even stir, breaths still slow and even. That was his cue to continue. The magician transported a chair from his room next to the bed. This enchantment was going to make him fall asleep, so it was safer to do it sitting down. He quickly sat and recited the spell. 

“Lig dom dul isteach in intinn an duine atá os mo chomair, ionas go bhfé adfainn cabhrú leo lena gcuid trioblóidi,” as he said the final syllable, he swiftly lost consciousness, head dropping down.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin finds Chase.

Marvin opened his eyes to something oddly normal. He appeared to be in the entryway of a decently-sized, well-cleaned home. The creme walls and hardwood floor gave him the feeling that a family lived here. And he was right. A young girl and boy dashed to the living room, going through the magician as if he were a ghost. Not too far behind them was what looked to be Chase. The two children jumped onto a tan couch. Brody sat himself between them, before picking up a remote. 

“So, what do you guys wanna watch tonight?” Marvin slowly brought himself closer, now fully aware that the family didn’t see him. 

“Frozen 2!” the girl exclaimed. 

“No,” the dirty blonde boy groaned.  
“I wanna watch Big Hero!”

“But both of those will make your dad cry,” Chase pushed his lips out to make a sad face. The two made pouting faces in return.  
“Okay, we’ll watch Big Hero 6,” his son cheered, while the other child booed loudly.  
“We can only watch one movie, Sammy cake,” the father explained.  
“Besides, you love this movie.” 

“Okay,” Sam mumbled, still slightly upset, but more calm than earlier. Brody picked up the remote and the tv fizzled to life. Marvin was then directly in front of the vlogger. 

“Chase,” the magician called, hoping that the father could at least hear him. No response.  
“Chase!” he blindly reached out to shake his shoulders, as he normally would. As expected, his appendages went right through Chase. However, it was followed by a millisecond flash of blue light. 

Brody shivered violently for a moment. It was as if a spirit passed through him, or something. 

“Are you okay, daddy?” Sam asked with worried eyes. 

“I’m good, Sam,” Chase replied, smiling. How could he say anything bad to a child with those orbs? She was too adorable for words. He could not be happier to be her father. Of course, he thought the same of his son, Alex.  
“Just finding a good way to sit before I cry,” he once again pouted, only more exaggerated.This made the girl giggle. The father turned back around and clicked the play button. They needed to watch this movie before bedtime, and it was already later than usual. He didn’t want Stacey to get mad about the kids not getting enough rest. Then again, she has been more lenient on him than usual. That did not mean, however, that he was going to slack off on his father duties. Brody was going to make sure his kids had a better childhood than his. By the time the credits ran, both children were napping soundly on their father’s lap. He smiled, before carefully picking them up and carrying them to their room. Chase tucked the two in one-by-one, starting with his son, and ending with Sam. He wished them both goodnight as he deftly closed the door. After he did so, the entrance clicked open. Finally, she was home. The vlogger ran to the entryway, sliding to a stop.  
“Hey, Stace. How was work?” Brody asked shyly. Despite her reassurances, he felt horrible that he couldn’t help make money for the family. 

“It was alright, actually,” She said in solace.  
“I only got cussed out by one guy today,” there was a hint of tired anger in her tone. She took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck.  
“But at least I have a cute husband to come home to,” Stacey smiled as Chase’s face flushed like they were in high school again. 

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one making you blush?” the father chuckled. Stacey leaned in and lightly pecked his lips.  
“Fair enough,” Brody said, making his wife laugh. 

“Are the kids in bed?” She asked. 

“Yep, ‘just tucked them in,” the vlogger responded.

“Good,” she said with a smirk.  
“You wanna smash?” 

“I thought you’d never ask,” Chase replied eagerly. The two played Smash Brothers together until midnight. The children were heavy sleepers and would sleep through their colorful commentary. 

The morning arrived almost seconds after the couple went to sleep. Stacey seemed to be the first one to wake, getting Brody up immediately after. The husband made some pancakes and bacon for the family. That’s strange. The father isn’t usually a successful cook. Hell, he nearly burned the cabin down making Ramen one time. This was definitely a hallucination; a pretty well-made one at that. He had to get the vlogger out of this. But how? He seemed pretty content in the trap. After all, it gives Chase exactly what he wants: a perfect life with his wife and children. It also didn’t help that the father could not see or hear him. However, there was that one moment “last night”. Perhaps, if he did that enough, Marvin could properly reach out to Chase. The father was following his wife to the front door, when the magician decided to try again. He walked up behind the Septic and once again put his hand on the other’s shoulder. Once again, a blue light flashed and the vlogger shivered. 

“‘Something wrong, Chase?” Stacey asked, worried. 

“Nothing,” he responded hesitantly.  
“Does it feel...cold in here to you?” 

“No,” His wife quickly shook her head in confusion.  
“Why?”

“I’ve just...felt weird lately,” Brody looked down in slight shame.  
“Like someone’s trying to talk to me,” He was definitely sounding crazy, but he didn’t want to pretend things were okay when they weren’t. He’d done that enough already. Wait…

“Honey, I’ve gotta go to wo-” Stacey said quickly, before being interrupted by her husband. 

“Stacey, didn’t we get divorced?” The vlogger looked her right in the eyes, waiting to read her response. 

“No,” his wife responded with a lightly scrunched up face.  
“Why would we do that?” she laughed, trying to get out of his tight hold. 

“But...we did,” he practically shouted.  
“You said I wasn’t mature enough to take care of kids,” This was common knowledge; knowledge his real wife--no, ex-wife--would know. 

“What are you talking about?” in a blue flash, a wide smile appeared on her face.  
“You’re a great father,” those words sent a chill down his spine. 

“You are not Stacey,” he breathed. His surroundings became a deep blue at that statement.

“No,” her eerily soft voice brought his attention back to the blonde.  
“But I’m what you wanted her to be,” ‘Stacey’ grabbed the former father’s chin, bringing their faces closer.  
“Right?” He wanted to open his mouth and tell her that no, this is not what he wants; that he loved his ex the way she was. However, his mouth seemed to be glued closed. The imposter closed her eyes, revealing glowing blue eyes without pupils.  
“You are far more clever than I thought,” she said with a smirk.  
“But not clever enough,”


End file.
